KARACHI (Staff Report) – As many as five people were killed and more than 15 others injured when the roof of a mosque caved in near North Nazimabad, rescue and police officials said on Friday.
“The incident took place in Usman Ghani Mosque located near Landi Kotal Chowrangi when Friday prayer was on,” he added.
Rescue teams shifted the injured to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Some of them are said to be in critical condition.
Zulfiqar Hyder, Station House Officer (SHO), said more than 200 people were offering prayers as the mosque was more crowded than usual on the first Friday of Ramazan.
According to the eyewitness account, several worshipers were trapped under the rubble and extracted by Rescue 1122.
“Most of the people had ended their main prayer but few were offering supplementary Sunnah prayers when the under-construction makeshift roof collapsed,” an eyewitness said.
The reason behind the roof collapse is not immediately clear; however, eyewitnesses said one portion of the mosque was damaged. The martyred have been identified as Abdul Rafay, Haji Akhter, Faisal Yaqoob, Muhammad Saleem and Humayoon Rabbani, said police sources.
Senior Director Health, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Dr. Muhammad Ali Abbasi told media that 10 of the injured were brought to the Abbasi Shaheed, one of them is serious, while four were out of danger. All the injured have received wounds on their heads and upper parts of the bodies, he added.
Dr. Abbasi said that four of the injured had succumbed to injuries ahead of reaching hospital.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah expressed deep grief and sorrow over the incident and directed the Karachi commissioner to submit an inquiry report in the matter.
The CM further directed the commissioner to provide best medical facilities to those injured and to have the debris removed from the mosque.
